Amaravati, April 7: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday urged the people of the state to reduce their intake of salt, oil, and sugar to prevent diseases.He also encouraged walking for at least 30 minutes a day as a health practice. Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on health, Naidu said a family of four should consume only 600 grams of salt, two litres of edible oil, and three kilograms of sugar per month. “Make it a thumb rule: consume only 0.6 kg of salt, two litres of oil, and three kg of sugar per month for a family of four. Many diseases can be controlled this way,” Naidu said, adding that salt intake, in particular, must be drastically reduced. He also advised people to practice meditation and pray for at least half an hour a day—whether in a puja room, mosque, or church—to lead a stress-free life and avoid disease. According to Naidu, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, respiratory illnesses, infectious diseases, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and others are among the top 10 health issues in Andhra Pradesh, accounting for 80 per cent of the disease burden. Cardiovascular diseases top the list, he added, with a prevalence of 18 to 22 per cent, followed by diabetes mellitus (12–15 per cent), respiratory illnesses (10–12 per cent), and others. Naidu announced that a pilot programme, the Digital Health Nerve Centre (DiNC), will be launched in Kuppam on June 15. The initiative aims to achieve 100 per cent Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) creation and integrate all electronic health records. Through DiNC, citizens will receive health advice via a dedicated app, along with specialist consultations through telemedicine. The programme will also offer advanced analytics for disease prediction, preventive health awareness, alerts for missing antenatal checks, and other health solutions. The pilot will begin with five mandals in the Kuppam constituency under phase one, lasting three months. In phase two, it will be extended to 31 mandals in the Chittoor district. Based on the model’s impact, stability, quality, and public satisfaction, it will be scaled up across all 26 districts over a 26-month timeframe. The Andhra Pradesh health department will collaborate with Tata MD and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in designing DiNC to achieve optimal health outcomes. Naidu also announced plans for a mega global medicity in the greenfield capital of Amaravati. This facility will house top hospitals and promote health tourism. The union government plans to develop 25 medi-cities in collaboration with state governments under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Andhra Pradesh has offered 200 acres in Amaravati for the project, the Chief Minister noted. Qatar, which pledged an investment of USD 10 billion under this endeavour with India, will also be brought on board for the Amaravati mega global medi-city project if it comes forward, he added.
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